


The Long And Winding Road (Into Your Heart)

by Huntress79



Category: Black Panther (2018), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, M/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Pining Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 13:28:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20193043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress79/pseuds/Huntress79
Summary: The serum did a lot of good things to Steve, but it didn’t help him in one matter: to realize that the feelings he had for his best friend ever since they met for the first time weren’t as quite as unrequited as he initially thought.





	The Long And Winding Road (Into Your Heart)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rivulet027](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/gifts).

> Written for the [Pining Exchange](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/piningexchange2019) and [Rivulet027](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/pseuds/Rivulet027). Is mostly written from Steve’s POV, and ignores everything that has happened since the mid-credit scene of “Black Panther”. I hope you like it!

*********************

Wakanda was, on all accounts, a very special part of the world. Despite its vast technology and resources, it was also a place where you could unwind and sort through whatever was troubling you in peace. The more missions he, Natasha and Sam did as rogue Avengers, the more Steve could understand why Bucky was reluctant to join them.

Whenever they crossed the border (in more than one meaning), he felt some kind of calm sweeping over him, clearing his mind of any lingering thought about the last mission, and what they could have done better. In hindsight, it didn’t matter – they stopped another crime lord wannabe from rising, and that was what really counted.

By now, the briefings with T’Challa had kind of a routine to them, and Steve could zone out whenever either Natasha or Sam explained something. Most recently, his thoughts only centered on one topic – Bucky. And if Steve was honest to himself, he couldn’t wait for the briefing to be over, so he could head over to the lake.

“You’re still with us, Cap?” Sam suddenly inquired, and try as he might, Steve couldn’t stop a slight blush creeping into his face.

“Yeah, sorry, got a bit lost in my own thoughts.” At last, Steve looked up and around at the other people in the room. “We’re done?”

“Just go, Steve,” Natasha grumbled good-natured. If she had read recent developments in the right way (and she usually did), her two favorite idiots were finally realizing something about their feelings for each other. About damn time, she concluded before following Sam over to their quarters.

Stepping out of the palace, Steve took a deep breath. He had been to many places on this planet, but he couldn’t remember another place where the air was so clean, so refreshing as here. It was as if your soul, your very being, got a shower. Truly magical.

“You need a ride over to the lake?” Ayo, Okoye’s second in command, suddenly asked from the side.

“No, but thank you,” Steve declined. “It’s not that far anyway. I’ll take a walk.”

“As you wish, Captain.” She bowed her head slightly and was gone. With another deep breath, Steve finally started his trek.

*********************

Twenty minutes later, he more felt than saw the lake with its small village. There was a slight change in the air, and while it wasn’t as bad as Brooklyn could be on a hot summer day, the humidity was slightly higher than back at the palace.

He heard the children of the village laughing, followed by a deep grumble that Steve knew was more exaggerated than real. Apparently, they had roped Bucky into one of their games (again), and apparently, his long-time friend wasn’t exactly happy with something.

Stepping out of the forest surrounding the sea, Steve made sure that the children saw him approaching. Pressing a finger to his lips, he asked them to keep quiet until he was standing right behind Bucky.

“I didn’t know that Wakanda also had a bear,” Steve whispered in Bucky’s ear, and to his great pleasure, the other man couldn’t quite suppress a shudder.

“Hey, you’re back,” Bucky finally spoke up, only to stop when he saw the furrowed brow in Steve’s face. “What’s up? Did something happen on the mission?”

“What?” No it was Steve’s turn to shake himself. “No, everything went fine. Sam lost one of his redbirds, but other than that, nobody was harmed, at least nobody who didn’t have it coming.”

“What’s with the deep thinking face then?”

“Nothing, nothing of importance anyway. You mind if I crash for a bit?” Steve asked and threw a thumb in the general direction of Bucky’s hut.

“Sure, you know you don’t have to ask, pal. What’s really troubling you?”

“As I said, Bucky, it’s nothing, probably just a tad too tired.”

Bucky only nodded, knowing that he wouldn’t get even close to the heart of the matter if he kept pressuring Steve about it. Maybe it was really just a lack of sleep at all.

“Hey, Stevie? You know you can talk to me, right?”

“Of course I do, Buck.”

And with that, Steve was striding towards the hut, leaving a worried Bucky behind.

*********************

Steve only got one good hour of sleep at all. The rest of the afternoon was spent with lying wide awake, his mind all but racing. Sure, he always a close bond with Bucky, but somehow, this bond got even closer recently. Maybe it was all the time spent here, away from the loud, hectic, troublesome world that opened, at least for Steve, the proverbial door in his mind for wanting more than just friendship with Bucky.

But he also knew that this was just another pipe dream, that it would never, ever become reality. Before WW2, Bucky only was interested in the dames, and now, after reclaiming his very personality and character, he didn’t even show any interest in a relationship at all. Sure, he was friends with Sam, T’Challa and Shuri, he and Natasha had rebuilt what Red Room and HYDRA had stolen of their friendship, he had regular trainings with the Dora Milaje. And still, Steve wasn’t sure at all if his best pal would ever be ready for more than that at all.

The light in the hut changed, and Steve realized that apparently the sun was going down. As if on cue, Bucky stepped into the hut, carrying a large plate.

“One of the women handed me this, stating that I shouldn’t bother with preparing a meal today.”

He put the plate on the small table next to the bed, and Steve could see a variety of fruits, dried meat, and cheese in a rather nice arrangement. From another corner of the hut, Bucky brought a large flatbread over, breaking it in half and handing one half to Steve.

“You’re feeling better, pal?” Bucky inquired around a bite.

“Not really, but I’m getting there, mother hen,” Steve gave back, though there wasn’t any heat behind his words. He actually missed this, being cared for, having someone looking out for his wellbeing.

“Someone has to do it, anyway. And I can’t leave all that work to Nat and Sam,” Bucky quipped, and Steve had to put up a fight NOT to launch himself across the table and kiss the other man senseless. He never thought he would ever get to hear the dry humor of one Bucky Barnes again, but hey, here he was, relishing it to the fullest.

“You’re gonna stay for a couple of days, pal?”

“Yep, planned on doing so. And even if something comes up, Sam and Nat can handle one or two missions without me.”

“Wait a moment: Who are you, and what the heck have you done to Steve Rogers?” Bucky asked, his blue eyes blown wide in surprise.

“Nobody did anything to me, Buck. Maybe I’m finally realizing that there’s more to life than fighting all the time. Sure, I’ll probably be the first one to join any greater conflict, but these small things, like ridding the world of HYDRA sleeper cells, one cell at a time, is tiring, man, so tiring.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of words, pal,” Bucky finally got out after staring at Steve for several seconds. “So you’re kind of part-retired?”

“Yeah, kind of. I even have already made a plan…”

“God save us all,” Bucky interjected, but Steve didn’t stop at all.

“…of what I’m gonna do with all the free time.”

“Yeah, what’s that?”

In lieu of an answer, Steve got up from sitting cross-legged, went over to Bucky and sat down again next to him.

“I definitely want spend it here, with you, in this hut – that’s if you want me. If not, it’s also okay, I don’t…”

Steve realized that he was babbling, but right that moment, Bucky rendered him speechless anyway by pulling him in and kissing him senseless in the best way.

“I really would love that, too.”

“So… you’re feeling the same for me?” Somehow, Steve had trouble to wrap his mind around the fact that Bucky just had kissed him.

“Yeah, I guess since the day I finally realized what feelings were.”

Now it was Steve’s turn to go wide-eyed. Was Bucky really implying that he had feelings for Steve since before the war?

“No way!”

“Yes way, punk, but I thought it was the best if I kept them to myself. Not only because the time back then wasn’t right for this kind of feelings toward another man, but also because I couldn’t get a read on you for that matter.”

“So that’s why you set me up with so many gals, right?”

“Yeah, and truth be told, I was somewhat happy that none of these dates were successful. I wanted you for myself, but on the other hand, I hated myself for it.” He shrugged. “So I never said a word.”

He didn’t expect Steve to start chuckling at all, but once it turned into a full-blown laugh, Bucky couldn’t help but join.

“What’s so funny, punk?”

“We are, Buck. Here we are, both a century old, and only now we realize that we were in love with the other for so long.”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I for one am all for catching up on the missing years. Starting like, right now.”

And for the next few days, the villagers made a wide berth around the hut, mostly due to the various sounds of love-making coming out through the door.

*********************

**The End**

*********************


End file.
